1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to the field of circuit board mounting devices, and more particularly, to standoff devices used to hold a circuit board a fixed distance from a mounting surface such as another circuit board.
2. Art Background:
Standoffs are commonly used in the electronics industry to securely hold a first circuit board a fixed distance apart from a second circuit board. Standoffs hold these circuit boards a fixed distance apart in order to insure that a certain free space between the boards is retained and to prevent the components and exposed connections from electrically coupling through physical contact. For efficiency in assembly, the installation of such standoffs should be both quick and easy.
Prior art standoffs have traditionally been characterized by simple form and function. Many prior art standoffs utilize screws to secure the standoff between the two circuit boards. Such standoffs suffer from several disadvantages, principal among these is the difficult and time consuming nature of installation. The use of screws necessitates access to the bottom of the circuit board, access which is very inconvenient in the production environment. Additionally, the required screws, as separate pieces, are subject to being lost or misplaced. Other prior art standoffs comprised of a single piece without screws, overcome some of these disadvantages. However, such standoffs suffer from installation alignment problems and relatively difficult removal.
As will be described, the present invention provides a standoff for securely and efficiently holding a first circuit board a fixed distance from a second circuit board which does not suffer from the disadvantages found in the prior art. The present invention provides a standoff which is easy to install, without the need for separate pieces. Once in place between the circuit boards, the present invention allows manipulation of the circuit boards, and further provides a locking mechanism for securely locking the standoff into place between the circuit boards.